Method of packaging materials



y 1959 R. GUYER 2,887,834

METHOD OF 'PACKAGING MATERIALS Filed March 1. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Reyna/d5 Gag er" ATTORNEY ll l I 1 May26, 1959 RGUYER I 2,887,834

,0 METHOD OF PACKAGING MATERIALS Filed March 1'. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Rey/7 o /a.5 Gaye!" ATTORNEY May 26, 1959 R, GUYER 2,887,834

METHOD OF PACKAGING MATERIALS I 3 Sheets Sheet 3 Filed March 1, 1954 I I I N w wl l l Y Q) #21 N s Ql i s Q: I 1 Ql 3| I IR: A 1 I 000000000 f? qno/ds GUI/f' 1 BY ATTORNEY United States Patent METHOD OF PACKAGING MATERIALS Reynolds Guyer, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, Ramsey County, Minn., a corporation Application March 1, 1954, Serial No. 413,313

1 Claim. (Cl. 53-32) This invention relates to a method of packaging materials which are compressible.

In the packaging of materials which are sold in a predetermined shape difiiculty is experienced in packaging the materials so that they will hold their proper shape. For example, in the packaging of envelopes or packages of cheese, if the packages are closed in the usual manner, the enclosed packages tend to deform out of shape. The tops of the packages and the bottoms thereof tend to belly out of shape so that the centers of the packages are bulged upwardly. As a result they are less attractive to customers than packages of other types.

The present invention lies in the provision of a method of packing articles of the sort in question wherein pressure can be applied to hold these packages in their proper form. This is extremely important for it is virtually impossible to insert packages of compressible material into a carton which will hold the packages in shape. Either the containing carton must be large enough -so that the materials may be inserted thereinto without difi'iculty or delays occur in the packaging process. An object of the present invention lies in providing a package which is originally much larger than the materials to be packaged and which can be closed in such a manner as to hold the contents properly condensed.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a package which is wider and higher than the contents to be inserted thereinto. However, by properly folding the walls of the package the contents can be confined in an area vwhere they are held in propershape after the package has been closed.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a package having triple walls which are useful in maintaining the compressive strength of the package and yet which permit the original package to be considerably wider and higher than the material inserted thereinto so that no ditficulty is experienced in the mechanical operation of filling the packages.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claim.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closed and flat blank from which the packages are formed.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the blank in expanded form and showing the contents in readiness to be inserted thereinto.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first operation of closing the package shown in the previous figures.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the next operation of closing and sealing the package.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through the package.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the sealed package.

Figure 7 isa diagrammatic view of the blank of which the package is formed.

The package is shown in the various figures and is illustrated in general by the letter A. A blank, as shown in Figure 7, includes a bottom panel 10 which is foldposition shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

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ably connected to an inner side wall 11 by a fold line 12. An intermediate side wall panel 13 is connected to the side wall panel 11 along a fold line 14. An outer side wall panel 15 is connected to the intermediate side wall panel 13 along a fold line 16. The side wall panels thus described, a triple side wall construction and the panels 11, 13 and 15 are of substantially the same size.

The outer side wall panel 15 is connected to a top panel 17 along a fold line 19. This top wall 17 is also connected to a second outer side wall panel 20 along a fold line 21. An intermediate side wall panel 22 is connected to the panel 20 along a fold line 23. An inner side wall panel 24 is connected to the intermediate side wall panel 22 along a fold line 25. A glue flap 26 is foldably connected to the inner side wall panel 24 along a fold line 27. The glue flap 26 is adhered or otherwise secured to the panel 10 to form a tubular structure. The fold lines 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23 and 27 are substantially parallel.

Closing flaps are secured to various of the panelsto form end closures. End flaps 29 and 30 are connected to the ends of the bottom panel 10 along parallel fold lines 31 and 32. End flaps 33 and 34 are secured to opposite ends of the panel 11 along extensions of the fold lines 31 and 32. Closing flaps 35 and 36 are connected to opposite ends of the top panel 17 also along extensions of the fold lines 31 and 32. Similar closing flaps to those described as 33 and 34 are also attached along the same fold lines to panel 24 and are designated by the numerals 39 and 40.

It is obvious that the flaps such as 33, 34, 39 and 40 may be foldably connected to others of the side wall panels'in' order to close the ends of the package. While there are certain advantages in the particular arrangement illustrated, the closing flaps connected to the side walls could also be connected to the panels 13, 15, 20 and 21 if desired.

In the construction of the carton A the glue'fiap 26 is secured in overlapping relation with the panel 10. Blanks of the type shown in Figure 1 are then expanded into the vides a blank which is substantially wider and which may be substantially higher than the goods to be contained.

For example, Figure 2 discloses six half pound packages of cheese in sliced form, each of packages B holding a predetermined amount of sliced cheese. These packages when newly wrapped are difiicult to insert into a package which would not permit the expansion of the packages. However, in the arrangement shown in Figure 2, the packages B are shown arranged two in height and three in length so that a total of three pounds of cheese in wrapped form are to be enclosed.

In packing the package A the panels are arranged as best shown in Figure 2, the panels 10, 11 and 24 being arranged on a substantially common plane. This provides a package which is of a width considerably greater than the packages B of cheese to be inserted thereinto. The wide wall panels 13 and 22 slope upwardly and inwardly, while the connected panels 15 and 20 incline upwardly at a greater angle. As a result the top panel 17 of the package is considerably above the level of the packages B in stacked form and these packages may be inserted into the carton A without any intereference from either the side walls or the top walls.

After the packages B have been plunged or otherwise inserted into the expanded package A, as shown in Figure 1, the inner side walls 11 and 24 are folded upwardly as shown in Figure 3. This action folds the inner side walls against the sides of the packages B and holds these packages in proper alignment. As also shown in Figure 3, the outer side wall panels 15 and 20 are folded into This pro-- surface contact with the intermediate side wall panels 13 and 22, the top panel 17 being drawn toward the upper surfaces of the packages B. Glue rollers 41 which are supplied with adhesive from the fountains 42 (one of whichis shown in Figure 3) apply adhesive to the under surfaces of the intermediate panels 13 and 22. As the package moves longitudinally, the combined intermediate and outer panels 13, 22 'and 15 and 20 are folded downwardly by suitable guide means as indicated in Fig ure 4 so that the inner surfaces of the intermediate panels 13 and 22 are adhered to the outer surfaces of the innermost panels 11 and 24.

After the package has been folded into the tubular form shown in Figure 4, the packages are subjected to a closing mechanism which seals the ends of the package. In this operation the fiaps 33 and 39 are folded into a common plane and the flaps 29 and 35 are sealed in overlapping relation to close one package end. Similarly the flaps 34 and 40 are folded into a common plane and the flaps 30 and 36 are folded thereover to form the opposite sealed end.

While the package itself forms a regular rectangular package when sealed, the foregoing process accomplishes several novel results. In the first place, as the inner walls -11 and 24 of the package sides fold against the sides of the contents the panel 17 is drawn against the top of the contents. By folding the doubled side panels 13, 15 and 20, 22 downwardly and outwardly of the inner side walls 11 and 24, a leverage action is provided tending to draw the top panel 17 firmly against the top of the package. As the side wall panels are all of approximately the same size, the downward folding of the outer and intermediate panels exerts a compressive force against the top of the contents tending to confine the product contained which, in the example named, comprises packages of'sliced cheese. As a result the packages B are tightly compressed within the package and the top and bottom walls are held from bulging because of the fact that the side walls are against the sides of the package and the top and bottom cannot bulge unless the sides of the package compress downwardly. As the sides of the package are composed of three thicknesses of material and are stronger than the top and bottom panels, these side walls resist inward compression and the top and bottom panels are stretched tautly over the top and bottom of the contents, thus holding the finished package in proper shape.

By properly proportioning the walls of the package as compared to the contents it is possible to exert considerable compressive force'vertically upon the contents and as a result the contained packages or the contents are held in proper shape. It has been found possible to compress the contents vertically to the desired dimensions without deforming the sides of the contents because of the greater Wall thicknesses. At the same time the resulting packages can be stacked one above the other even though the contents may be relatively soft Without damage to the shape of the package due to the vertical stacking strength of the walls which permits the packages to be packaged one above the other to a considerable height Without further compressing the contents.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my method of packaging materials which are compressible, and While I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claim without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

The method of packing material in a paperboard carton having walls of sufiicient strength to withstand substantial compressive force, the carton comprising a tubular structure including top and bottom panels and three intermediate panels connecting each side of the top and bottom panels, the method including inserting the package contents between the top and bottom panels, folding the two of the intermediate panels connected to one of said first named panels against the sides of the contents, folding the'remaining two intermediate panels on each side toward outwardly projecting parallel relation, forming doubled panels, and folding the doubled panels simultaneously into side by side relation with the first folded intermediate panels, employing a leverage action about the edges of the first folded intermediate panels to which the adjoining intermediate panels are secured, drawing the other of said first named panels against the package'contents with a compressive force.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,628,764 Rubinstein et a1. Feb. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 54,311 Netherlands Apr. 15, 1943 

